Russell Westbrook will be wearing No. 4 with the Washington Wizards instead of No. 0, the number he wore with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.
During his media session with Wizards reporters on Saturday, Westbrook said he's switching to No. 4 since it is the first number he wore in basketball as a kid.
Westbrook says he could have taken 0 as his number, but says he wanted to go back to No. 4 — his original number. Says four was taken in OKC and Houston. Says four is a representation of who he plays for.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) December 5, 2020
Former Wizards star Gilbert Arenas wore No. 0 during his time in Washington. While the D.C. franchise hasn't retired the number, no player has worn No. 0 since Arenas' tenure with the Wizards ended.
Arenas, whose nickname was Agent Zero with the Wizards, told Russell Westbrook he could don No. 0. However, the 2017 MVP wanted to go to No. 4 as he embarks on the next chapter of his basketball career.
With the Rockets last season, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game during the regular season while shooting 47.2 percent from the field, 25.8 percent from beyond the arc and 76.3 percent from the free-throw line. The Wizards acquired the triple-double machine from Houston in exchange for former No. 1 overall pick John Wall.
Washington is hoping Westbrook and All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal can lead the franchise back to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Westbrook, who struggled in the 2020 playoffs due to COVID-19 and a quad injury, has recovered from both ailments and is ready to get things started with the Wizards.
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